Tattoo-Covered "Scary Guy" Combats Bullying, Nabs $6.5K Per Gig

Earl Kauffman—who legally changed his name to "The Scary Guy"—is on anti-bullying crusade.

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The Scary Guy grabs a student during an appearance at a business school in Vienna, Austria.

The Weinstein Company's recently-released documentary "Bully" has nabbed stellar reviews for taking on a widespread social issue — but the film won't raise nearly as many eyebrows as Earl Kauffman of Minnesota, a.k.a. The Scary Guy, who has a funky anti-bullying message of his own.

A former tattoo artist who legally changed his name to The Scary Guy after he covered over 85 percent of his body in ink, The Scary Guy is on a globe-trotting anti-bullying crusade called "The Total Elimination of Hate, Violence and Prejudice Worldwide." According to CNN, The Scary Guy asks as much as $6,500 for each speaking gig — a steeper price tag than a ticket to the aforementioned documentary, that's for sure.

During speaking engagements, Scary subjects audiences — comprised mostly of schoolkids — to a litany of oddities: he pukes up apples, pats his tattoo-covered stomach, and teases social outcasts in the crowd, like "the geek in the wheelchair." Scary's goal? He says he's sensitizing students to harmful bullying behavior that might otherwise get mistaken for standard socialization. On his official website — which treats visitors to ominous horror-movie music upon entry — Scary says his "interactive programs" are geared to boost "emotional intelligence."

According to a CNN profile published Sunday, Scary claims to have trotted out his in-your-face schtick in 19 states, and frequently gets asked to perform internationally. Although Scary reportedly has no academic credentials, "many school officials sing his praises."